scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Proceedings ArticleDOI

Critical short-timescale transient processes of a GaN+Si hybrid switching module used in zero-voltage-switching applications

TL;DR: In this paper, two SMT GaN HEMTs are paralleled to a TO-247 Si MOSFET, where a time delay is added between switch gate signals to make GaN endure the switching loss and Si conduct majority of the current, which maximizes advantages of both switches.
Abstract: Wide-bandgap (WBG) devices are believed as the alternate of silicon switches for high-efficiency and high-power-density power electronics converters. While two major challenges of WBG devices remain as high cost (∼5 times of Si) and less options (the maximum power rating for GaN is only 650V/60A), paralleling GaN with Si could be the potential solution to solve pains above. In this paper, two SMT GaN HEMTs are paralleled to a TO-247 Si MOSFET. A time delay is added between switch gate signals to make GaN endure the switching loss and Si conduct majority of the current, which maximizes advantages of both switches. The proposed design is found particularly useful for zero-voltage-switching applications. Critical dynamic behaviors such as the current overshoot to the GaN, current distribution during the dead time, and voltage spike during the turn-off caused by parasitics are comprehensively discussed. Its impact on the control performance and system loss is evaluated as well.
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a hybrid switch (HyS) consisting of a large current rated Si insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device connected in parallel with a small SiC MOSFET device (low SiC/Si current ratio below unity) is proposed for high-current high-power converters.
Abstract: In this paper, a hybrid switch (HyS) consisting of a large current rated Si insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device connected in parallel with a small current rated SiC MOSFET device (low SiC/Si current ratio below unity) is proposed for high-current high-power converters. A systematic analysis involving a parametric sweep to understand the influence and to derive a boundary line of the parasitic interconnection inductance unbalance between Si and SiC within the HyS is presented. The boundary line prescribes the selection of an appropriate gate sequence control. A comprehensive cost analysis was performed using commercial 1.2 kV devices to demonstrate the cost viability of a 1:4 or 1:6 SiC/Si current ratio HyS compared to a SiC MOSFET. An algorithm using a dynamic junction temperature prediction is presented to select an optimum SiC/Si current ratio, which ensures a reliable HyS operation. Using a design example, the possibility of reliability using a 1:6 SiC/Si HyS is studied. A 650 V Si-IGBT- and SiC-MOSFET-based HyS (1:5 SiC/Si current ratio) was successfully demonstrated in a dc–dc boost converter. Also, electromagnetic interference analysis is presented for the HyS-based converter operation.

78 citations


Cites background or methods from "Critical short-timescale transient ..."

  • ...A preliminary analysis on the Si-IGBT- and SiC-MOSFET-based HyS was presented in the literature [8]–[12]; analysis on the SiIGBT- and SiC-JFET-based HyS was presented in [8] and [14], and analysis on a Si-IGBT- and gallium-nitride- (GaN) high electron-mobility transistor- based HyS was presented in [12] and [13]....

    [...]

  • ...Recent literature, such as [8]–[13], adapted this HyS to utilize the benefits of presently available WBG devices....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Jan 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are paralleled to various Si MOSFETs.
Abstract: Wide-bandgap (WBG) devices are considered to be a better alternative to silicon switches to realize high-efficiency and high-power-density power electronics converters, such as electric vehicle (EV) onboard chargers. The two major challenges of GaN devices are their relatively high cost (~5 times compared to Si) and much smaller footprint than Si, which though is preferred in the high-power-density application is preferred but brings thermal challenges. Much like SiC is paralleled with Si, and GaN could be paralleled with Si to resolve these challenges. In this article, gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are paralleled to various Si MOSFETs. Two different triggering approaches are considered: one adds a time delay between gate signals and the other uses a pulse triggering technique. Both methods ensure that the GaN endures the switching loss, while the Si switches conduct the majority of the current, thereby maximizing the advantages of both types of switches. To follow is a comprehensive study of the critical transient processes, such as the gate cross talking between Si and GaN, current commutation in the dead band, voltage spikes during the turn-off caused by parasitics, the thermal performance, and the cost analysis. Demonstrated success testing this approach at 400 V/80 A provides evidence that this is a possible approach in the onboard EV battery charger applications. The success of testing under 400 V/80 A makes it possible to an onboard EV battery charger.

18 citations


Cites result from "Critical short-timescale transient ..."

  • ...Such a phenomenon has been observed in our previous work [14]....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
03 Dec 2022-Energies
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors present a review of popular SiC and GaN power devices, discusses the associated merits and challenges, and finally their applications in power electronics. But they do not discuss the potential of GaN and SiC power devices in terms of energy efficiency.
Abstract: Power electronic systems have a great impact on modern society. Their applications target a more sustainable future by minimizing the negative impacts of industrialization on the environment, such as global warming effects and greenhouse gas emission. Power devices based on wide band gap (WBG) material have the potential to deliver a paradigm shift in regard to energy efficiency and working with respect to the devices based on mature silicon (Si). Gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) have been treated as one of the most promising WBG materials that allow the performance limits of matured Si switching devices to be significantly exceeded. WBG-based power devices enable fast switching with lower power losses at higher switching frequency and hence, allow the development of high power density and high efficiency power converters. This paper reviews popular SiC and GaN power devices, discusses the associated merits and challenges, and finally their applications in power electronics.

12 citations

Proceedings ArticleDOI
10 Oct 2021
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a hybrid Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon (Si) multilevel converter and a PWM method for its operation, for reduced switching losses without significant increase in the system cost.
Abstract: This paper proposes a hybrid Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon (Si) multilevel converter and a PWM method for its operation, for reduced switching losses without significant increase in the system cost. Multi-level converters with high frequency converter have become popular due to high efficiency, low harmonics and small size compared to line traditional frequency transformers. The multi-level output voltage enables direct connection of renewables to medium/high voltage level collection grids. The hybrid power-circuit architecture described in this paper, which is well-suited for renewable integration, has a single primary side inverter and several series connected sub-modules on the secondary-side. Each sub-module consists of a high-frequency transformer, a diode bridge rectifier and H-bridge. In the proposed hybrid scheme, only one sub-module (SM) per phase employs GaN devices, and switches at high frequency to produce pulse-width modulated output voltage. All other sub-modules consist of conventional Si devices switching at near-fundamental frequency. Such a combination reduces the overall converter cost while also yielding high efficiency. The paper presents simulation and experimental results verifying the topology and the proposed PWM scheme on a nine-level H-Bridge multi-level converter hardware. Detailed topology analysis and and a brief loss budget is also included.

6 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
12 Jul 2023-Energies
TL;DR: In this paper , a comprehensive review on the employment of wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor power devices in wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) is presented, focusing on their application in the wind energy system.
Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive review on the employment of wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor power devices in wind energy conversion systems (WECSs). Silicon-carbide- (SiC) and gallium-nitride (GaN)-based power devices are highlighted and studied in this review, focusing on their application in the wind energy system. This is due to their premium characteristics such as the operation at high switching frequency, which can reduce the switching losses, and the capability to operate at high temperatures compared with silicon (Si)-based devices. These advantages promote the replacement of the conventional Si-based devices with the WBG semiconductor devices in the new modular converter topologies due to the persistent demand for a more-efficient power converter topology with lower losses and smaller sizes. The main objective of this paper was to provide a comprehensive overview of the WBG power devices commercially available on the market and employed in the modular converter topologies for renewable energy systems. The paper also provides a comparison between the WBG power technologies and the traditional ones based on the Si devices. The paper starts from the conventional modular power converter topology circuits, and then, it discusses the opportunities for integrating the SiC and WBG devices in the modular power converters to improve and enhance the system’s performance.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an isolated on-board vehicular battery charger that utilizes silicon carbide (SiC) power devices to achieve high density and high efficiency for application in electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs).
Abstract: This paper presents an isolated on-board vehicular battery charger that utilizes silicon carbide (SiC) power devices to achieve high density and high efficiency for application in electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs). The proposed level 2 charger has a two-stage architecture where the first stage is a bridgeless boost ac-dc converter and the second stage is a phase-shifted full-bridge isolated dc-dc converter. The operation of both topologies is presented and the specific advantages gained through the use of SiC power devices are discussed. The design of power stage components, the packaging of the multichip power module, and the system-level packaging is presented with a primary focus on system density and a secondary focus on system efficiency. In this work, a hardware prototype is developed and a peak system efficiency of 95% is measured while operating both power stages with a switching frequency of 200 kHz. A maximum output power of 6.1 kW results in a volumetric power density of 5.0 kW/L and a gravimetric power density of 3.8 kW/kg when considering the volume and mass of the system including a case.

355 citations


"Critical short-timescale transient ..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Due to its ultra-fast switching transition and outstanding thermal capability, WBG devices are excellent candidates for high-efficiency and high-power-density power electronics converters [1-3]....

    [...]

Proceedings ArticleDOI
Juncheng Lu1, Hua Bai1, Alan Brown, Matt McAmmond, Di Chen, Julian Styles 
20 Mar 2016
TL;DR: In this article, the authors designed the gate driver circuits and optimized the PCB layout in a 7.2kW battery charger using paralleled GaN HEMTs to optimize the switching performance.
Abstract: This paper designed the gate driver circuits and optimized the PCB layout in a 7.2kW battery charger using paralleled GaN HEMTs. 650V/60A enhancement mode GaN HEMTs provided by GaN Systems Inc are adopted. To optimize the switching performance of paralleled GaN HEMTs with low loss and high reliability, effects of parasitic inductance and capacitance are modeled and analyzed. Through cancelling the flux in the commutation loop, the power-loop parasitic inductance is reduced to only 0.7nH, which significantly decreases the electrical stress in the switch turn-off process. A diverse-parameter gate driver design has been proposed to achieve the reliable switching off. The Finite-Element-Analysis and Spice simulation show our current design could effectively suppress the voltage overshoot and gate-drive ringing on HEMTs. Experiments were carried out on both double pulse test platform and the 7.2kW charger to verify the proposed design strategy.

48 citations


"Critical short-timescale transient ..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...Given GaN HEMTs still have much higher switching-on loss than switching off [4], zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) turn-on is still highly recommended, which is the focus of this paper....

    [...]

  • ...In [4], it reported a 7V reverse voltage drop when using -5V to turn off GaN HEMTs....

    [...]

Proceedings ArticleDOI
01 Nov 2015
TL;DR: In this paper, a hybrid switch consisting of a Silicon (Si) IGBT in parallel with a Wide Bandgap (WBG) device, either SiC MOSFET or GaN HEMT within a single package is proposed for hard-switching inverters.
Abstract: In this paper, a hybrid switch consisting of a Silicon (Si) IGBT in parallel with a Wide Bandgap (WBG) device, either SiC MOSFET or GaN HEMT within a single package is proposed for hard-switching inverters. The hybrid switch enables heavy load conduction through IGBT; light load and transient conduction through the WBG device. This feature is realized through a well-thought control scheme. This work explores the various possibility of controlling this switch, and detailed guidelines for realizing the proposed control are presented. Results indicate elimination of the effects caused by the tail current during turn-off of IGBT; lower or no reverse recovery charge and fast switching capabilities of WBG (Wide Bandgap) device offer significant reduction in the switching energy loss leading to higher switching frequencies. The paper specifically investigates the gating sequence for the hybrid switch to achieve the optimal operation point between the high switching frequency and low losses.

41 citations


"Critical short-timescale transient ..." refers result in this paper

  • ...[6] Leif Amber and Kevork Haddad, “Hybrid Si IGBT-SiC Schottky diode modules for medium to high power applications”, IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition. pp.3027 – 3032, 2017....

    [...]

  • ...Such study is rewarding to evaluate the feasibility of such hybrid approach, given the switching speed of GaN is much faster than Si and even SiC....

    [...]

  • ...Key Words — GaN HEMT, Zero-Voltage-Switching, wide-bandgap, Finite element analysis I. INTRODUCTION GaN HEMT and SiC MOSFET are two exemplified wide-bandgap (WBG) devices....

    [...]

  • ...A similar approach was found when paralleling Si to SiC [5,6], however not widely reported for GaN+Si yet....

    [...]

Proceedings ArticleDOI
16 Mar 2014
TL;DR: In this paper, a high frequency, high efficiency bi-directional battery charger for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is built with high voltage normally-off GaN-on-Si HFETs.
Abstract: A high frequency, high efficiency bi-directional battery charger for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is built with high voltage normally-off GaN-on-Si HFETs. The battery charger topology consists of a 500 kHz Full Bridge (FB) AD/DC stage and a 500 kHz Dual Active Bridge (DAB) DC/DC stage. The system functionality is verified and measured efficiency is 97% for the AC/DC stage and 97.2% for the DC/DC stage, which leads to a total efficiency 94.2%. By doing sinusoidal charging, the DC link capacitance can be reduced to much less than one third but efficiency will drop to 92.0%.

32 citations


"Critical short-timescale transient ..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Due to its ultra-fast switching transition and outstanding thermal capability, WBG devices are excellent candidates for high-efficiency and high-power-density power electronics converters [1-3]....

    [...]

Proceedings ArticleDOI
Xuning Zhang1, Nidhi Haryani1, Zhiyu Shen1, Rolando Burgos1, Dushan Boroyevich1 
01 Nov 2015
TL;DR: In this paper, an improved phase leg power loop design for enhance mode lateral structure Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors is presented, which reduces current commutation loop inductance within the GaN phase leg.
Abstract: This paper presents an improved phase leg power loop design for enhance mode lateral structure Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors. Static characterization results of a 650V/30A GaN transistor are presented. The gate driver circuit is designed based on the characterization results. In order to reduce current commutation loop inductance within the GaN phase leg, an improved power loop design with vertical structure is proposed for lateral structure GaN transistors. The control of Common Mode (CM) noise current propagation is also considered during the gate driver design by optimizing the power distribution and grounding structure of the gate driver and digital control circuits. By differentiating the propagation path impedance of digital control circuits and their power supply circuits, conductive CM noise can propagate through power supply path to protect the digital control circuits. The design is verified through experiments on a phase leg prototype which prove the effectiveness of the proposed phase leg on the overvoltage reduction during current transition along with less cross-coupling between power loop and gate loop compared with conventional lateral power loop design. Finally, a three phase motor drive system is designed and tested based on the proposed phase leg.

21 citations


"Critical short-timescale transient ..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Due to its ultra-fast switching transition and outstanding thermal capability, WBG devices are excellent candidates for high-efficiency and high-power-density power electronics converters [1-3]....

    [...]